Tuesday, 1 August 2017

Leon Ho In our competitive environment today, it's very easy to become envious of others' successes. In the startup field, there are always a few phenomenal individuals who bloom quickly in their respective industries. I know of one that produced an app that quickly gained 20 million users, and another that won several outstanding business awards and garnered lots of attention from the media. Another small startup quickly grew to have 200 employees.In our competitive environment today, it's very easy to become envious of others' successes. In the startup field, there are always a few phenomenal individuals who bloom quickly in their respective industries. I know of one that produced an app that quickly gained 20 million users, and another that won several outstanding business awards and garnered lots of attention from the media. Another small startup quickly grew to have 200 employees. www.dailytenminutes.com

When a colleague outperforms you, a friend has a bustling social life, or when someone has a seemingly perfect relationship, it is easy to turn to resentment.1 Most of the time, we don't admit to these feelings, but the green-eyed monster lurks beneath the surface.

Whether or not we'd like to admit it, we've all felt jealous of someone else in the past.

Competitive and jealous feelings are an adaptive strategy. Humans are naturally inclined to compare to others because it was essential to outperform others in order to survive.2

While it seems natural to become envious or resentful of others, the feeling does more harm than good.

Envy Costs Your Entire Mind

Envy interferes with people's ability to think and act. Instead of working on attaining a high level of success, it focuses a person's energy on what they lack.3An envious person is blind to their own progress since their only aim is to have what someone else already has. Without benchmarks for their progress, envious individuals quickly lose their motivation altogether.

Those who worry about the final outcomes that others experience don't think about the journey that their competitors had to take to reach that level of success.4Envious people are blind to their own strengths, and they're unable to see the weaknesses of rivals.

If you spend your whole life envying others because you think they are more efficient, more easily promoted, or better at solving problems, you'll never become better. A person who wastes time worrying about others' successes will not be able to see his or her own potential. Even when the envious person succeeds, he or she will likely still be so focused on the other person that there is little cause for celebration. The vicious cycle continues, and the envious individual never feels satisfied.

The reality is that there will always be someone smarter, better, or stronger. Enviousness condemns people to lead lives in which they constantly hope to have more. The green-eyed monster can never be satisfied. Intrinsic motivation for success yields better outcomes than resentment of others' accomplishments. www.dailytenminutes.com

Cut the Chord and Stop Depending on Envy

I understand that even the most altruistic and optimistic among us may be tempted to envy others from time to time. When I face envy, I revisit my purpose and desire to succeed. I find motivation through grounding myself in my vision.

When I first started Lifehack, it was a struggle. This was during a time when the web was becoming exponentially popular each day, and lots of new companies were popping up everywhere to fill in the space. During that time I heard about a startup close by that quickly grew to fill a huge office. Their building had four floors, a fancy layout, a big canteen, and a rec room with a pool and a dartboard. Almost immediately I thought, "Wow! That sounds cool. I wish I could have those things too. It must be nice." I was impressed, but started to have that uncomfortable feeling comparing myself to this suddenly successful startup. www.dailytenminutes.com

I could have allowed this feeling to fester, but instead I turned inward to remember what was important to me. I reminded myself that I am most interested in creating an environment that boosts productivity. Anything that doesn't increase productivity is superfluous, and could actually create distractions.

Then, I thought about the goals of my work. I want to create a product that has a positive influence on others. It doesn't matter whether my office space seems cool. What is truly important is how the work that we do in these offices can change lives.

My team doesn't need all those bells and whistles to create a fun work environment. My team members are fun and creative all on their own. If I spent all my time worrying about how big their offices were, I'd be upset with myself for not being able to offer them what that other startup has. I'd be too busy worrying about my feelings of guilt to push my mission forward.

When I focus on my aspirations and work to improve myself, it brings me closer to achieving my mission. Knowing what I really want is the best motivation, and it wards off envy better than vain attempts to have what everyone else has. There's just no reason for me to envy what others have because those things don't align with my vision for this company.

Freeing myself from the control of envy has liberated me from unrealistic and counter-productive desires. I can see the progress I've made as well as the areas in which I'd like to grow, and I allow my work to stand on its own merit instead of constantly comparing it to the work of others.

Not only is freeing oneself of envy critical for staying focused on what is important, it also makes life much more pleasant. Being able to applaud another person's success without having a negative reaction has led to more opportunities and partnerships than if that success had created an adversarial relationship.

When you start to covet the success of others, realign yourself with your vision, and recognize that we are all on a journey to become the greatest versions of ourselves.

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Do you lash out when you feel angry or upset because you hope that venting will make you feel better? It turns out that mood freezing is a more effective option.

The term "mood freezing" comes from a study where researchers deliberately got people riled up. Then, they fed them a pill that would supposedly make it impossible for them to change their mood. Once people were convinced that aggression would fail to give them relief, they tried other solutions and said they felt happier.

On the whole, catharsis is a myth. Expressing unpleasant feelings usually fails to get them out of your system, even if you enjoy the venting in a way. Relaxation and other techniques are more effective.

Benefits of Mood Freezing and Other Non-Aggressive Techniques

1. Protect your relationships. Blowing off steam can distance you from your loved ones. Respectful discussions smooth the way for staying connected and for greater cooperation.

3. Avoid regrets. Once you use your upper case voice, it's hard to take it back. Speaking gently spares you from having to make a lot of repairs.

4. Enjoy more happiness. Anger may sometimes feel exciting. However, in the long term, abandoning aggression will make you more content.

Non-Aggressive Alternatives for Dealing With Unpleasant Emotions

1. Accept the situation. For instant relief, decide to make the best of whatever happens. As you pay attention to things you can control, other factors become less disturbing.

2. Practice relaxation. Develop relaxation methods that work for you. Engage in daily meditation or take a walk. Listen to instrumental music or get a massage. DailyTenMinutes.com

3. Retire to a quiet place. Modern life bombards us with noise so it's nice to have someplace you can retreat to. After listening to Chopin while taking a warm bath surrounded by candles, you may feel differently about the seatmate who snored all through a long flight.

4. Take a pause. There's a lot of wisdom in stopping your anger by counting to ten. Give yourself time to consider how to respond when a coworker saddles you with extra work.

5. Anticipate consequences. Use that interval to calculate how different approaches are likely to turn out. Splitting up chores with your roommate sounds more promising than seeing how high the kitchen garbage can pile up.

6. Talk it over. Direct discussions usually work best. Negotiate a flexible work schedule with your boss rather than letting resentments build up over last minute overtime requests.

7. Challenge media representations. Lots of movies and TV shows celebrate aggression. After all, it does look dramatic. Maintain a critical mind so you can separate entertainment from real life.

8. Seek distractions. Some things need to be examined and others are best left alone. Listen to an audio book to take your mind off a long daily commute. DailyTenMinutes.com

9. Analyze events. On the other hand, serious issues require more attention. Ask yourself why a long term friendship now seems strained. It's worth getting to the bottom of it.

10. Address root causes. Make an effort to identify the ultimate source of your feelings. Your distress over a broken fingernail may really be tied to deeper concerns about your body image. DailyTenMinutes.com

11. Change your routine. There may be a grave dilemma in your life or recurring patterns that bother you. If you want different results, do things differently. For example, put an end to homework squabbles by agreeing on a set schedule or hiring a tutor.

If you want to be happier, try to vent less and relax more. No pill is necessary. Train yourself to react peacefully to unpleasant emotions.

Sunday, 23 July 2017

When you manage a team of people, you can't always ensure that they'll get along. Given competing interests, needs, and agendas, you might even have two people who vehemently disagree. What's your role as the boss in a situation like this? Should you get involved or leave them to solve their own problems?

Ideally, you'll be able to coach your colleagues to talk to each other and resolve their conflict without involving you, making clear that their disagreement is harmful to them and the organization. But that's not always possible. In these situations, we believe it's important to intervene, not as a boss but as a mediator. To be sure, you won't be a neutral, independent mediator since you have some stake in the outcome but you're likely to be more effective in meeting everybody's interests — yours, theirs, and the organization's — if you use your mediation skills rather than your authority.

Why rely on mediation and not your authority? Your colleagues are more likely to own the decision and follow through with it if they're involved in making it. If you dictate what they should do, they will have learned nothing about resolving conflict themselves. Rather, they will have become more dependent on you to figure out their disputes for them.

Of course, there will be times when you'll have to put aside your mediator role and decide how the conflict will be resolved — for example if major departmental or company policy issues are involved, there is imminent danger, or all other avenues have failed to resolve the conflict, but those occasions are few and far between.

What if your colleagues expect you to step in as the boss? Your first move is to recognize your authority, but explain the mediation process you have in mind. You might tell your colleagues that although you have the authority to impose an outcome on them, you hope that, together you can find a resolution that works for everyone. You could also tell them that when the three of you are together, they should devote their energy to reaching agreement, rather than trying to persuade you which of their views should prevail.

Should you initially meet with each colleague separately or jointly? There are pros and cons to both approaches. The goal is to understand both of their positions (what one is claiming and the other rejecting) and their interests (why they are making and rejecting the claims).

Conflict often carries with it a heavy dose of emotion. One or both of your colleagues may be seriously angry. One or both may feel intimidated by the other. Meeting with each separately will give the angry colleague an opportunity to vent, give you a chance to reassure the intimidated colleague that you will listen, and may surface information ultimately useful to resolving the conflict — information that colleagues either haven't shared with each other or haven't heard if shared.

You and Your Team Series

Conflict

If you first sit down with them separately, don't focus the discussion on how to resolve the conflict, but rather on gaining an understanding of the disagreement and convincing each that you are willing to listen and anxious to understand their concerns

Research has shown that initial separate meetings are more successful if the manager spends time building empathy and gaining an understanding of the problem. There will be plenty of time in subsequent meetings to talk about how to resolve the conflict. Also be sure in this initial meeting that you are using empathy (That must have been really hard for you) and not sympathy (I feel sorry for what you have been through). An expression of empathy is respectful but relatively neutral and it does not imply support for the person's position.

The risk in starting separately is that each colleague may think that the other is going to use that meeting to sway you to the other's perspective. You can avoid this by explaining that the purpose of the meeting is to understand both sides of what is going on, not for you to form an opinion on who is right and who is wrong.

Meeting jointly at first has its upsides too. Giving each a chance to do some controlled venting in a joint session may clear the air between them. You should check with both before proposing this approach since you want to be sure that they can engage in such a session without losing their composure, making resolution even more difficult. And be sure to set some ground rules — each will have a turn, no interruptions, for example — before you begin and be prepared to tightly control the session and even break it off if you cannot control it, otherwise it can turn brutal.

Another good reason to have your colleagues meet together is that ultimately, they need to own the resolution of their conflict and they need to develop the ability to talk to each other when future conflicts arise. Of course, the risk in meeting jointly is that you cannot control the process and the meeting only escalates the conflict.

Keep in mind that you don't have to pick one mode of meeting and stick with it throughout the process. You can switch between modes. However, our research suggests that starting separately and building empathy and then moving to joint is more effective in resolving conflict than starting jointly and then meeting separately.

What should you accomplish in your first meeting? Whether you're meeting together or not, there are several things you want to do in the initial meeting. read more articles on www.dailytenminutes.com Explain that you see your role as helping them find a mutually acceptable resolution to their conflict, but also to ensure that the resolution does not have negative implications for the team or the organization. Make clear that deciding whether a particular agreement is acceptable requires their buy-in and yours. And then set out some rules for whenever you meet together. For example, treat each with respect and don't interrupt.

The goal of the initial meeting is to have them leave with emotions abated and feeling respected by you, if not yet by each other. With that done, you can then bring them together (if you didn't meet jointly the first time), and focus on getting the information that you all need in order to resolve the conflict.

What information do you need to draw out in subsequent meetings? In order to resolve the conflict, you'll need to know from both people their positions (what each wants), interests (why each is taking that position, how the position reflects their needs concerns), and priorities (what is more and less important to each and why).

You can gather this information by doing several things: asking "why?" or "why not?" questions to uncover the interests that underlie their positions, listening carefully to identify those interests, reformulating what you think you understand about one colleague's interests to make sure you understand and that the other colleague also is hearing them.

What are the pitfalls to avoid? There are several ways that these discussions can go wrong. For one, either colleague can try to convince you that their view of the facts in the only correct view, that their position is the "right" one, or that they should prevail because they have more power. We call these facts, rights, and power arguments and they are detrimental because they distract everyone from seeking a resolution that will satisfy everyone's interests.

The facts argument is an interesting one. Both colleagues may have been at the same scene but each remembers it differently. They both think that if they could only convince you and their colleague of their view of the facts the conflict would be over. read more articles on www.dailytenminutes.com The problem is that even if you had been there, it is counterproductive to try to convince others of your view, because without new credible information they are unlikely to change their minds about what happened. The best approach to closing this trap is to agree to disagree, and move on.

Arguments about rights may come in the form of appeals to fairness or past practices. The problem is that for every rights argument one colleague makes, the other can make a different one, which supports their own position. What one party views as fair the other views as unfair and vice versa. If they start to invoke fairness, suggest that discussion be put aside temporarily, while you jointly search for information that might be useful in resolving the conflict.

Power arguments are basically threats. If you don't agree to my position, I will …. Being threatened turns people defensive and distrustful, which makes them more reluctant to share information about positions, interests, and priorities. If one person issues a threat, explicit or implicit, remind your colleagues of the ground rules of respect. You might also repeat what you are trying to do – share relevant information to get to a resolution – and that discussion of what one will do if there is no settlement is counterproductive at this point. read more professional articles on www.dailytenminutes.com

How can you move forward toward an agreement? Finding potential settlements may be easy if in the process of helping your colleagues understand their different positions and interests, it becomes clear that this conflict was just a misunderstanding or that there is a way forward that respects both parties' interests. If it becomes apparent that their interests are as much in conflict as their positions, finding a settlement may be more difficult, but don't give up.

Our research shows there are several ways to facilitate an agreement in this situation. Surprisingly often, parties can simply agree on how they are going to interact or address the issues in the future. They put the past behind them, accepting that past practice wasn't working for one or the other or both and move forward together. This can be tricky though. Sometimes one might be willing to engage in a future-based agreement like this but not trust the other to follow through on it. In those cases, where uncertainty is a concern, you can try one of these types of agreements:

Limited duration. Try something for a limited time and then evaluate before continuing.

Contingent. Agreements that depend on a future event not happening. If the future event does happen, an alternative agreement takes effect.

Non-precedent setting. Agreements that protect against risk by parties agreeing that the settlement will not set a precedent in the event a similar conflict arise in the future.

It's best if your colleagues can propose resolutions that meet their own and the other's interests. You may be able to coach them into making such proposals by summarizing the interests and priorities as you've heard them. You can then ask each colleague to make a proposal that takes into account the interests and priorities of the other. Discourage each from making unrealistic proposals that would offend the other. You might warn them not to make an offer they cannot reasonably justify, because doing so will compromise their credibility.

If despite everyone's efforts, you can't reach an agreement, you might need to speak with each colleague separately about the consequences of not reaching a resolution. You can ask, What do you think will happen if you don't reach agreement? The answer of course is they don't know. The only way to keep control over the outcome of the conflict is to resolve it themselves.

If there is still no settlement at this point, you may need to shed your mediator role and, as the boss, impose an outcome that is in the best interests of the organization. Be sure to explain your reasoning and make clear this isn't your desired path. You might also point out that your goal in having them work hard in resolving the dispute on their own was so that they would be better equipped to do so in the future, and that goal hasn't been fully accomplished. But don't let them walk away thinking their relationship is doomed. Give them both feedback on what they might do differently next time, making clear that when they butt heads again, you'll expect them to manage it on their own.

Jeanne Brett is the DeWitt W. Buchanan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

Stephen B. Goldberg is a Professor of Law Emeritus at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where he taught negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. He is also an experienced mediator and arbitrator.

Wednesday, 19 July 2017

Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet application, offers Calculation, Graphing tools, Pivot tables, Macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), etc. it has become an irreplaceable application for users. Individuals and enterprises widely use it for trading, accounting, scientific work, Sales & Marketing, etc. However, neither its Mac nor Windows version is resistant to virus infection. Viruses may anytime infect it, thus leading to corrupt or damaged Excel file. In such a situation, it becomes necessary to know how to repair a virus infected Excel file.

A Virus that Can Corrupt MS Excel File

Macro/VBA virus is a malware that comes in several forms such as PLDT, CAR, and SGV. It can infect any application written with a Macro language and MS Excel is one of them. Here in Excel, it takes advantage of Macros by attaching itself to the file and secretly takes over the Auto_Open function of Excel. It does exactly what its name recommends. The easiest way in which you can defend yourself against PLDT/CAR/SGV Macro viruses is by disabling Macros in the Excel files.

Ways to Repair Virus Infected Excel File

What if the Excel files have been infected with a virus? In such a situation, you need to repair and restore them successfully. Here are the top 5 ways to repair virus infected Excel files and restore them without making any changes to the data within.

Method 1: Repair method

If the MS Excel does not start the File recovery mode automatically, try to repair the virus infected Excel file manually with the Repair method. To do so, follow the steps mentioned below:

Click on the Microsoft Office button, and then on the Open.

In the Open dialog box, select the corrupt Excel file you wish to open.

Click the arrow next to the Open tab and then on the Open and Repair

Execute one of the following two:

Click on the Repair tab. (Do so to recover as much data of Excel file as possible)

Click on the Extract Data tab. (Do so to extract values and formulas from the Excel file when an attempt to repair the file is unsuccessful.)

Method 2: Open with Open Office

Open the corrupt or damaged Excel file in Open Office that is an open-source Office suite, capable of opening and saving Excel files.

Method 3: HTML method

Open the Excel file and save it in HTML format. By doing so, the damaged elements may get filtered. Thereafter, the filtered out elements can be discarded.

Method 4: SYLK Method

Open the Excel file and after that save it in SYLK format. By doing so, the damaged elements may get filtered. After that, discard the filtered elements to repair and restore the infected Excel XLS or XLSX file.

Method 5: Use A Third-Party Tool

Try using a third-party tool that can easily repair damaged or corrupt Excel files and restore every bit of information easily and quickly. For instance, you can use Stellar Phoenix Excel Repair. You can also search for similar tools having the capability to repair and restore damaged Excel files.

Conclusion

Now that you know the five ways to repair a virus infected Excel file, you can try any that befits your needs and requirements; however, it is recommended to use the Safe, Secure & Reliable Stellar Phoenix Excel Repair for satisfactory results.

Monday, 17 July 2017

Your data center is the heart that pumps the lifeblood of your business. Without it, everything stops. And when it has problems, so does your business. Myriad issues can plague a data center. And although most people don't realize it, improper cabling can be one of those issues. But with some easy planning and work up front, you can maximize the efficiency and reliability of your data center cabling.

I have put together 10 tips to help you get the most out of your data center's cabling. With these tips, you'll have a more reliable data center and your staff will have a much easier time maintaining it.

1: Measure twice, cut once

It's an old adage, but an important one. Not only do you create a tangled mess if you don't carefully measure your cables, you also create a lot of expensive waste. You may think that two feet of wasted cable doesn't amount to much, but those wasted feet add up. In the end, you could save yourself a lot of time, headaches, and money by measuring twice and cutting once.

2: Label, label, label

If you don't label your cables, you're only making more work for yourself. Every cable should have a label on both ends, even short runs and patch cables. Why? Imagine you have to test a bunch of circuits — quickly. You scramble and unplug a few patch cables and, when it's time to reset them back to their default locations, you have no idea where each cable goes. Avoid this problem by taking a little time to slap a label on each end. Make sure your labeling system is consistent. Don't just go ad hoc with this or you'll confuse yourself and those who work for you.

3: Don't skimp on terminations

Don't buy cheap because they're cheap and don't rush through the process of terminating cables. If you have cables that lose their connection if you wiggle them, you need to redo them. If you can't terminate cables in your sleep, you need to practice. You may think you're saving time and money. But in the end, you're going to wind up with a monstrous headache as you troubleshoot all those terminations.

4: Don't skip the test

After you create a cable, test it! And don't accept "Star Pass" tests (a test that barely passes). If a test doesn't pass 100%, redo that cable. If, after a few tries at termination, the cable still doesn't pass, trash it. And make sure you're using a quality tester for your cables (and that you know precisely how to use it). This simple step can prevent a lot of extra work in the end.

5: Keep patch cables short

You have servers in a rack that are within a foot of each other. Don't slap three-foot patch cables on those servers — it not only looks bad, it's incredibly inefficient. And if you have an odd length between servers, use your termination (and testing) skills to create patch cables that reach perfectly. With that extra length on your cables, you invite tangles, kinks, and confusion.

6: Color code

This may sound a bit over the top, but stick with a single color for your patch cables and cable runs. The only time you should break that rule is when using a specific color cable for a specific purpose. But don't use colors randomly. Make sure each color has a purpose and stay with it. That will make it easier to follow cable runs and troubleshoot issues. And yes, it also makes for a better-looking data center — which has its merits.

7: Upsize your conduit

Don't buy conduit sized for what you need NOW. Buy conduit sized for what you will need in the future. You never know when you'll be adding on, and you'll want to be able to make use of already-run conduit. You can't do that if you purchased a size that just barely fits your needs at planning time. Go big or go home.

8: Make your design cable-friendly

When you lay out your data center plans, do so in a cable-friendly way. Don't put a rack in a location where it's impossible to successfully run cable. Otherwise, you'll wind up with cable on the floor or hanging from the ceiling. Plan carefully to avoid later disaster. Also make sure to plan with expansion in mind. Run extra conduit, extra drops — more than you think you'll need.

9: Separate Cat5 and power lines

Do not run Cat5 and power together. You might think it's too minimal to be of concern, but those power lines can leach signal and cause interference with your Cat5. Yes, bunching a lot of Cat5 together can do the same thing, but not with nearly the ill effect of running them alongside power. Keep power and networking separate at all costs.

10: Keep cables cool

You may think only the servers need to be cool — but that would be a poor assumption. Cable can get warm as well, and if you have a massive amount of cable, that extra temperature can lead to disaster. Design your data center in such a way as to keep your networking runs cooled, as well as the server racks.

Spaghetti prevention

Cabling is often an afterthought. But when you treat it as such, you are running the risk that you'll find yourself elbow deep in a spaghetti bowl of networking cables, attempting to resolve issues that could have been prevented with just a bit of care up front.

Becoming an engineer has never been easy and every discipline comes with great skills and is followed by even great responsibilities. Therefore, to be an ultra-successful engineer you must have a specific set of soft skills and personality traits which we'll discuss in this article.

Many aspire to become an engineer but not everyone is given the right opportunity and has developed the courage and personality traits required to enter such career and become ultra-successful. The question is what does it take to become one of the best engineers and how can one attain these behavioral qualities and personality traits to use as an edge among others?

Most of us are familiar with the common technical and management skills an engineer should acquire. So in this article let us focus only on the people-related skills that are mostly developed throughout our lives.

1. Trustworthy

This is one of the personality traits that are built over time with the members of the organization including your boss and team members. If the organization is built by trust then projects will most likely have a positive outcome because the team members are working better together. It is also one of the most common causes of disputes in a team, which leads to people leaving or even betraying each other.

2. Honest / Speaking the Truth

As an engineer, you should be honest even if the situation will not favor you, even if it is painful to deal and even if it contradicts the needs, desires, beliefs, and intentions of the organization. This is one of the key personality traits and the most basic job of a good engineer. Projects tend to fail with dishonesty as the problems that arise may not be addressed properly.

3. Clear Communication Skills

Engineers deal with a lot of people including those who are in the organization and the clients. It is vital to have clear communication skills as it is needed to explain instructions and present solutions and problems to both the clients and the team members. Without clear communication, the possibility of failing a project is very high. This involves both written and oral communication. It is also important to provide information in a detailed, clear and concise form of language that people would understand. This is one of the personality traits that engineers can actively work on improving over time.

4. Team Player / Good Working Relationships / Teamwork

No one can finish a project by themselves alone. You need team members to work on it in order to make it a success. Becoming the head of the project, one must be able to encourage, empower, and improve team members. It also includes acting as a role model to everyone including the bosses. This is done by doing well in the leadership role, using the resources of the company in an effective manner and spending the budgets wisely, keeping the necessary people well informed involving budget reviews and milestones, communicating well with everyone in the organization, supporting the people around you and presenting an accurate message with your bosses and clients. This is the number one personality trait that will contribute to your success as you go from being an engineer to a manager.

5. Open Minded / Seeing the Big Picture

One of the top personality traits of a true leader is his or her outlook towards life. An engineer must not just focus on the small problems or immediate needs; it is important to see the big picture like how is the project going to impact the organization in terms of manufacturing, facilities, the use of components, budgets, use of currently available products and resources, and the earnings that will be brought to the company. Part of this is presenting project plans and schedule forecasting for manufacturing. This is why it is important to have an open mind in cases of adjustments and changes in the project plans.

6. Thinking Ahead / Being Ready for the Unexpected

This is one of the personality traits that separate a few from the many. It is important for an engineer to think ahead and identify the possible problems that might arise so that when it happens it would be easier for the issue to be addressed. One must be able to also see and take advantage of the opportunities that come in. Thinking about the long term effect of it and how it can benefit the company. If you always think about more than one solution, then if the first fails you'll be ready to implement the second.

7. Effectively Managing Risks

Project plans are not always perfect and problems may arise anytime and something could go wrong. This involves the steps that you have foreseen and those you didn't anticipate. One of the rare personality traits of a successful engineer is to effectively manage these risks and prevent it from happening again. Building a team of experts who have complementing skills will be quite helpful.

8. Setting Realistic yet Challenging Goals

It is normal for one person to impress everyone especially if you have plans of gaining a higher position, but developing plans that are too ambitious to achieve will not make it any better. Projects like that would eventually result in poor or incomplete results. It's something that will not benefit both the company and the engineer. Projects' goals must be specific meaning achievable and in detail while being challenging enough to encourage and push team members to pursue them. It must also be measurable, attainable, tangible and following a time frame.

9. Minimizing Complexity

It takes time to familiarize someone in the complexities of a project as it differs from each other. One must understand thoroughly the plans, schedules, and budgets that will be part of the project, so as the risks that are involved in it. A great engineer will be able to explain a task, project or set of goals in simple terms so that it can be understood smoothly. This is one of the personality traits that are tough to have as the work we do becomes more complicated.

10. Assuming / Taking Ownership / Taking Action

Assumptions are always part of every plan, an example of this is assuming the number of new products that will be sold (forecasting), profitability, competitor's action, availability of products, and the demands of the products. Also, there are times that you are on your own, running out of time, and must make a decision, you must take control of the situation and take action to stop a disaster from happening. What will you do? This is one of the personality traits that are tough to find, but when found it is one that is invested in heavily.

11. Team Building Characteristics

This is one the most crucial of the personality traits if you're aiming to continue your career in a leadership or management position. As every part of the team will play an important role in every project and most team members require guidance and a direction to be given to. It is vital that the team leader knows the strengths and weaknesses of each member to maximize their roles in a project and to improve those weaknesses over time, hence building a stronger team.

12. Knowledge Utilization

Knowledge is power, but it is not always what you know, it's how you use it, which makes this one of the personality traits that are extremely hard to master. Although most engineers within the same discipline share the same knowledge, not everyone uses that knowledge in the same way. This is primarily because it's a special skill to organize our thoughts and implement them properly. This is a huge advantage during the planning and execution process of every project as one can share information that can be vital in ensuring that a project will be a success. Article Source: Interesting Engineering

About The Contributing Author:

Nader Mowlaee is an Electronics Engineers .You can connect with Nader on Linkedin or Facebook.